After enduring what The Motor Report calls “a spiraling and damaging media campaign – run, in the main, by Fairfax media,” Volkswagen spoke up. According to Reuters, “Australian Managing Director John White told Australia’s Fairfax newspaper on Friday that VW “have issues” after car owners complained of transmission and engine failures causing loss of power, but did not order a general recall.”

In an open letter, Volkswagen invites customers to contact the company, or to come to a Volkswagen dealer to for a free inspection. Says the letter:

“We understand the recent coverage has caused some concern for our customers. We feel the best way to demonstrate our commitment is with several immediate measures.

For peace of mind, we’re offering free inspections of your Volkswagen vehicle at any Volkswagen dealer throughout Australia.”

I’ve read that it was a 2008 Manual Golf GTI. Makes me wonder if it could have been the flat tapper cam follower / HPFP / camshaft failure in the EA113 2.0T that could in extreme cases can rip the engine internals into pieces.

The tragic death of that lady and subsequent coroner’s investigation is what finally gave the media a sniff, and without doubt the reporting has left a lot to be desired.

This media coverage has brought out of the woodwork hundreds of owners with defective DSGs and faulty diesel injectors claiming their cars are dangerous. It would be a witch hunt in the truest sense if VW owners had not been reporting similar problems across the world.

What you have to appreciate is that the underlying issue is that Australian consumers have been treated poorly, and in this instance are questioning why haven’t the recalls on these faults in other countries been instigated here. In Australia there were a number of owners with the 1.4 Twincharger engine reporting engine failures and replacements under warranty, apparently due to the unique make up of our fuel. VW Australia addressed this via a quiet service campaign (google “24s4”) or enjoy watching the train wreck unfold in this thread.

American consumers would not accept being treated like this, and Australians VW owner’s are justifiably making a lot of noise. My friend’s 135i died two months out of warranty, and google told him it was most likely due to the high pressure fuel pump which had been subject to a recall in the USA. The dealer also told him it was the fuel pump, and charged him $$ for the repair.

Disclaimer – I bought a 2010 manual GTI new, and sold it 18 months later as I was sick of the electrical gremlins with the car.

The Fairfax press has been pretty active about VW issues in the last 18 months, but the tragic death of this woman has launched a crescendo that culminated in John White having to issue a statement and letter on the 7th of June.

Yes the car is a GTI manual, and as a regular user of the Monash freeway, truck behaviour is appalling. I find myself ringing trucking companies weekly to dob in tail gating, speeding, and general poor road craft of truckers on this stretch.

In terms of Volkswagen, as an owner, never again. If the purchasing experience didn’t turn you off (the dealers are rubbish), the ownership experience will. From having minor warranty claims rejected ( I have owned 15 new cars previously, and the first time I have ever had trouble claiming on warranty) to Volkswagen not taking a dealer to task who pre-delivered my car to claim a rebate on a vehicle (which had been ordered long time before the rebate offer) and costing me a month’s warranty, to now just at trade in time, to find this blow up, and losing $5k versus what was quoted 3 weeks because no-one wants to trade a Volkswagen because of the media attention over the last week. Still my quibbles are nothing compared to the poor woman who died.

There must something in the air. Now Skoda & Audi has issued a recall alongside Volkswagen, to have look & fix, if required, the DS gearbox that’s common to all of these vehicles. As explained by a PR/Engineer person, one issue is an electrolytic corrosion in the control unit, which causes a fuse to blow (their words) which then causes the clutch(s) to open, therefore disconnecting the engine from the drivetrain. No limp mode, just shutdown.